Monday, November 29, 2010

So I headed over to DSW armed with a $10 off coupon to buy a pair of "sexy hi top black boots with a heel to make me taller".

I'm walking down the aisles and I see many that I like but none that I wanted to try on. I wasn't looking for high stiletto heels. My feet could never take that. I only wanted semi-sexy I guess. Also...I don't need to break an ankle.

The first pair I saw that I wanted to try on were brown. And furry. With a waterproof rubber sole. And fur around the top. And no heel at all. I tried them on and they felt so good. Fur was inside too. I thought: "This is it." I love these. And they matched the brown Costco fleece I had on. I put them in my shopping bag.

Since I was only about 1/2 the way down the aisle, I kept going. Past lots of "sexy black boots that make you look taller". I wistfully looked at them. I saw one pair with a heel I thought I could deal with. I stopped and tried them on. Within a couple of minutes my toes and ball of my feet were aching.

I was looking between them and the brown boots. I think I looked sad because a saleslady came up to me and asked: "Don't you like them?" (meaning the brown boots I was staring at.)

I said "Yes, I love them but they aren't what I came in to buy. I guess I'm just reverting to my true nature." She looked at the 10 year old plus Ecco loafers I had came in wearing. Talk about comfort! I even hot glued the soles recently so I could keep wearing them. I love them. They own me. They are me. I'm not a sexy black boot lady, I guess. I love comfort. I was feeling wistful. She saw my dilemma and offered to help.

She brought me a couple of "semi-sexy black boots that make you look taller" that she thought might be right for me. One of them had some comfort built into them and not such a steep angle to your foot and I felt like they were ones I could enjoying wearing and looking taller for awhile when I didn't want to look clunky.

They certainly wouldn't be good for hiking up a mountain like I could have done in the brown ones.....but I don't have plans right now to hike up a mountain....probably not any time this year either.

So I bought the "semi-sexy black boots that make you look taller". They're mine. I love them. I'm taller.

I left the brown ones at the store and never looked back.

Sometimes you just need to kick yourself in the butt to get out of the rut....or find the right salesperson to help you on your way.

We especially liked the colors and the addition of feathers and pink cheetah print. So Girly Girl. We love making stuff like this. Amusement parks, carnival, Disney-like rides are such a rich and wonderful theme to work with.

We can also make Candle Lighting Centerpieces with a roller coaster ride theme.

Monday, October 25, 2010

I read somewhere that you need to group things together for the best statement. The article was referring to collectibles and collections people have of things like salt and pepper shakers, family photos, nicknacks, etc.

So I grouped together some ESPN pictures. Yup....it makes sense to me. All in one place.

Like all the crayons in a box, all the silverware in the drawer. Like all my swings on the back porch. Like all the water in the lake...oh yeah....I'm glad that's all in one place and not divided into puddles. Like all the blankets on the bed. Like all the fingers on your hand. Like all the candy wrappers on the floor of my van. Like all the clothes on the floor. Well...some things are not so attractive all grouped together.

Friday, October 22, 2010

I live in a Lakes Area. We have Big SUPERB GORGEOUS houses and not-so-superb houses all mixed in together. I live in a house about smack in the middle. Not SUPERB GORGEOUS but just fine for me....average. I don't have a washing machine in my front yard.

In fact....I have a problem with people who put stuff in their front lawn that doesn't belong there.

I don't mind decorations but please....please...no junk. No empty flower pots. No gardens. No tomato plants in your front yard. Did you miss the show on TV about Curb Appeal??

We have some of those types dotted around our neighborhood. I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me to see JUNK in the front yard. Here's a slice of some crap in the front yard of a house near me. It makes me cringe to see those pots and junk scattered all over their front lawn.

So...I'm have this baggage. I'll admit to it.

Now I'm driving thru an area about 3 blocks down from me and ...What!...I spot a rusted 'ole pickup truck on someones LAWN! You know it caught my eye.

I start to get that feeling...that groaning feeling. Then I started to laugh. Cool. I liked it. Creative. I admire creativity.

I just had to snap a picture as I continued down the road.

Then I saw the competition.

Oh yeah....just a few doors down they had some competition...some very well done competition.

Although...if this wheel-less vehicle wasn't covered and gracefully draped in cobwebs and it wasn't

Halloween, my blood pressure would probably have made a hole in the roof of my van.

But I actually admired it. I even got out of my van to snap a picture.

Pretty cool.

I just hope it isn't there in November...and December....and on and on.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

1. Had a cordless phone meeting IN MY BED with a client in another state.

2. I typed up her invoice on my ipad IN MY BED whilst sippin' on a beer called Huma Lupa Licious....an India Pale ale that is described as "A complex malt and hop theme park in your mouth". I'm not sure if this is my all time favorite beer because I like the name....or I like the idea of a theme park in my mouth (that's so weird...sorry). No....I think it is the taste. It rivals Starbucks for taste in the beer department. I love it. At 5 o'clock I start thinking about it. The show "The Doctors" said 2 beers a day are good for your heart. I love to help my heart keep beating. I'm all for that.

3. I emailed her invoice as I sipped on that beer.
I thought .....now if I could only print out a hard copy for my files, life would be just fine.

4. I looked for an app for that. There are ipad apps for that. Amazing.

5. I sent my invoice to my printer wirelessly. Yes I did. ALL FROM MY BED~~ with my beer.

6. And then Stacey gave me a wonderful bed tray because I told her I was using a cardboard box to work on in bed with my ipad. Oh my gosh....I love it~!! I may never leave my bed.

7. Now who delivers food...I mean right to my bedroom and sets it on my bed tray. Who does that? Is there an app for that? There should be.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Park sideways and lean out your window and use the payphone on this pole?

Not if someone else is parked there in the way. Obviously you can't park of the other side of this crappy phone pole because there's stones around the ugly old weedy grass.

Looks like too many folks leaned on this pole. Are they waiting for it to fall down before they remove it?

Who uses it anyway? Is there one person in the world who doesn't have a cell phone? Ok...maybe a homeless person. But I doubt any homeless people are visiting this junky party store...although maybe...you never know. Would they have money for a pay phone?

I pulled into the gas station next door and as I was pumping gas I saw this sign. Since pumping gas is one of life's most boring things to do my mind was wandering and pondering the usefulness of this eyesore. There was nothing better to do as I added my almost $3 a gallon gas into my gas tank.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

It's a beautiful place. Lushly landscaped and an impressive hotel-like entrance. It's sparkling clean and good health care is given here. Parking is all low on the ground surrounded by landscaping...no big ugly parking structures here.

My whole family has been there on many occasions. Oh...yes.....many. And more to come.

We've all been patients or visitors on occasions too numerous to list. My appendix was left there about 15 years ago one fast and painful Friday evening that I would like to forget.

I remember an old crabby neighbor lady across the street from me who tried to get me on her side in her opposition to having this hospital built just 5 miles north of our houses. She said all that blood running downhill and down the drain was going to ruin our wells. Really. I kid you not. She said that. I remember crazy stuff like that. I went "Huh? That happens? I don't think so." She assured me it did and it was going to happen when that hospital was built. Crazy lady.

There's lovely internal gardens all around the place. This one is just off the cafeteria which serves pretty darn good food I might add. I never mind having to eat there.

There's this sign in the cafeteria looking out into these lovely gardens. It says NO EXIT on the door.

No exit to me means this is not an exit. Maybe an alarm would go off? How'd those people get out there that I saw eating out there? From another door hidden somewhere? I ate inside. Dumb Me. But I watched that door.

And I saw someone go out there thru it. Ahh...Ha. You open the door and walked thru. Yup....that's all.

My Dad and I enjoyed eating lunch in the lovely "self contained" garden that had NO EXIT to the parking lot. Now I get it.

Why not say "Welcome" or "Enter" or "Open to the Public" on the door. Underneath that: "No exit to the outside of the hospital thru this garden". It's a big door...plenty of room for all these words and "Smoke Free Environment" too.

So....it's a pretty perfect hospital except for this sign. Just wish I didn't have to go there ever but I'm glad to know it's there and I never....repeat never....have worried about blood in my drains. Crazy lady.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Since Jacob had previously bought a tarantula at an exotic Pet Store and then at a Reptile Show, now it was time to try buying them thru the mail.

It was a very positive experience with Mike from North Carolina who Jacob met on Arachnoboards.

Jacob purchases some poecilotheria ornatoa's.

They arrived in a US postal truck in this box and sat on my hall bench until Jacob arrived home. We passed that box all day and watched it carefully. I did have a fleeting thought of getting Jacob out of school early but I thought better of that. I'd, of course, have to lie. I couldn't say he needed to come home and unpack his tarantulas. The attendance lady would probably...no, for sure... looked at me very weirdly.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

It's random...although I do tend to post lots of work related party decorating pictures because that's what I do. But I like to throw in the personal ramblings too.

It makes me think in a new light.

It surprises me most of the time. I never felt like I was writer. But since it's my blog there's nobody to ok it but myself. I give myself the ok to be whatever I am on it and just see what comes up.

It's no pressure....no deadline. It's there whenever I want it be. It just hangs around waiting for me to say whatever I want. I like that.

It's mundane just like so many other ones that I read and wonder why I'm enjoying theirs so much.

Details matter. They are what make up the day. Just ask Ashton Kutcher... or Dooce...or Pioneer Women....My Janee...or my nephew and big wheel web guy MickMel.....all bloggers who I think are fun to follow to hear their "details".

And now I follow Blogher on Facebook. What's more all about those tiny details of life than Facebook....well, unless you follow Michael Moore or the Huffington Post who post about BIG SERIOUS THINGS. I follow those too. But I hate to admit that I head to the crazy family posts first to see who's doing what. I like to hear those family details. You wouldn't necessarily make a phone call to share a random small detail but you'd put it on Facebook. I guess that's the reason we like Facebook and the reason we blog and the reason I can put a crazy video of my daughter and son-in-law on here....just because I can and I want to and it's fun. The End.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

I'm driving. My Mom is in the passenger seat. My Dad is all by his lonesome self in the backseat. Got the picture?

We're headed to a favorite restaurant of my Dad's. Found out it was closed on Labor Day when we got there.

We were hungry. Across the street was a Panera Bread restaurant. I said to Mom, "Let's go there." She said okay. They have good soup. (and other stuff, of course.)

Dad, not hearing well from the backseat, said "whatever".

Until we pulled in the parking and then he yelled out "NOOOO....not PAN-ER-REEEE-AAAH!" (As in rhyming with diarrhea.)

Does it give you diarrhea Dad? What?? We love this place. I love it so much I have a My Panera Card cuz I'm a frequent eater there when I drop packages off to FedEx. There's one right across the street. I love the place.

I guess it's because because they have no steaks. Dad is big on steaks. He has beer and steaks in his veins. Especially juicy steaks like at Applebee's. Ahhh... That's where we needed to go.

Going to Panera is like asking a "Terminator/Clint Eastwood" guy to watch a chikflix, I guess. (Unless he has a laptop and loves the WiFi. You can't go to Panera without seeing 6,000 laptops everywhere.....but that's so not my guy....my Dad....but I digress.)

Ok...so now every time I see Panera...I think PAN ER REEEE AHHH. Can't get it out of my head.

Just like the time someone I knew said they were really mad and stomped their feet and said they were "F----king Fumigated". I'm SURE they meant F----king Furious but it was hard not to laugh out loud. In fact, I did. I remember that moment fondly.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Jacob is always very careful and gentle with placing his spiders in their new environment.

He provides water and good warm soil and a hide for them to nestle in. He keeps a thermometer and humidity gauge inside. His Dad owned a tarantula as a kid and is very comfortable checking out this new one. He knows how to pick them up and treat them kindly.

Jacob was also very comfortable right away this this little guy....or I mean gal. She's sweet natured and not easily offended. She doesn't pose in a threat position. She just kinda walks around and enjoys her world.

There's pretty much no place she minds traveling to or visiting.

Jacob encourages others to share in the enjoyment but watches over her like a mother hen. He's very protective and doesn't take his eyes off her. Have I held her yet? No...not yet. I might. I probably will. But not just yet. I'm not ready. I like to admire their beauty....and they ARE beautiful....from the distance of a camera lens.

Jacob's great grandma was willing to look and sit near it but I think the expression on her face says more than any words I could say. Some folks have that reaction.

Have you seen enough yet?

Well, this isn't the end of the story yet.

There's still more to come.

We're on an adventure.

But there will be a slight pause in the
TARANTULA CHRONICLES
as we discuss the options of adding
3 very colorful...yet more serious...
baby tarantulas to the collection.

Ahhhhh....not so
sure about this decision yet.

I'm just so not sure this is a good idea.
Jacob is sure though.
We'll see.
Stay tuned.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Jacob made his choice. It was a good one. A beautiful one. It's called a pink zebra beauty.

She's a female. She has a unibrow. Jake named her Unice. She is friendly. Honestly. A way different personality than testy Mr. Goliath Birdeater who's never going to be friendly no matter how much you feed him and smile at him thru the glass.

So this is the part you may not approve of. We stopped for lunch. And brought her in with us. We couldn't leave her all alone in the van now could we? It might get hot. Someone might take her. She might be sad and lonely....well, maybe not that.

We were quiet about it. No big deal. It looks like a carry out container anyway. Fits right in.

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About Me

I live on a small lake in Michigan and that's where I work from. I live very close to my 2 daughters and grandchildren. We all have a great time together and Stacey, my youngest daughter, works with me making party decorations that we ship nationwide and also deliver locally in Michigan.